KFTH-DT
A Houston-area Spanish-language television station licensed to Alvin, Texas, and operated as a UniMás affiliate by TelevisaUnivision.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
KFTH-DT is a full-power Spanish-language television station serving the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area. The station is licensed to Alvin and broadcasts on virtual channel 67, with its transmitter located near Missouri City in unincorporated northeastern Fort Bend County. Its principal programming service is UniMás, TelevisaUnivision's Spanish-language network oriented toward entertainment, sports, movies, series, and other general-interest programming. The station began broadcasting on January 27, 1986, under the call sign KTHT. It was established by Four Star Broadcasting as Houston's fourth independent television station at a time when the market already included KTXH, KRIV, and KHTV. The original station operated from studios in Alvin, with an advertising sales office near the Astrodome, and relied primarily on older syndicated programs and films. Its initial schedule was shaped by the limited availability of popular syndicated children's programming, much of which had already been acquired by competing independent stations. Four Star sold KTHT to the Home Shopping Network later in 1986. The station switched to round-the-clock home-shopping programming on November 13 of that year and adopted the KHSH call sign in January 1987, adding the -TV suffix in 1992. During this period it functioned principally as a shopping channel rather than as a conventional general-entertainment independent station. In 1995, Barry Diller acquired HSN's broadcast-station division, which became associated with Silver King Broadcasting and was later renamed USA Broadcasting. USA Broadcasting explored a locally oriented programming concept known as CityVision, but the format did not achieve the intended scale. After the division recorded substantial operating losses in 2000, Diller elected to sell the stations to Univision in 2001. The Houston station changed its call sign from KHSH-TV to KFTH on January 14, 2002, when it became part of Telefutura, Univision's newly introduced secondary Spanish-language network. Telefutura was renamed UniMás in 2013, and KFTH-DT continues to serve as the network's Houston-area outlet. TelevisaUnivision owns and operates the station alongside KXLN-DT, the company's Univision station licensed to Rosenberg. The two services share studio facilities on Houston's southwest side near the Southwest Freeway and the I-610/I-69 interchange. KFTH's primary program stream is also carried by a KXLN-DT subchannel, extending UniMás coverage across the market. KFTH has also carried locally produced programming. On April 4, 2011, KXLN introduced a weekday morning newscast for the station under the title Vive La Mañana. The program was produced from KXLN's news facilities and transmitted in high definition, but it was discontinued in March 2015. The station subsequently remained primarily a network entertainment and Spanish-language programming outlet rather than a separately staffed local-news operation. As a digital broadcaster, KFTH ended regular analog transmissions on UHF channel 67 on June 12, 2009, during the federally mandated transition to digital television. Its digital signal continued on UHF channel 36 while retaining virtual channel 67. The station's identity is therefore associated with both its long-running channel position and its successive programming eras: independent television, Home Shopping Network, Telefutura, and UniMás.
History
The Federal Communications Commission assigned channel 67 to Alvin, Texas, in April 1982 after a petition by David Eugene Brown. Four applicant groups sought the allocation, and Four Star Broadcasting received the construction permit through a settlement approved in November 1983. Four Star's ownership group included Texas state legislator Harold Dutton, Boston investor Don Moore, and Warburg Pincus. Jack Moffitt managed the project after arriving from Cleveland station WUAB. The resulting station, KTHT, began broadcasting on January 27, 1986. It marketed itself as Houston's fourth independent station and initially operated from Alvin, with a separate advertising-sales presence near the Astrodome. Its schedule emphasized inexpensive syndicated shows and older movies. Because the three established Houston independents had already acquired much of the available children's programming, KTHT's launch schedule did not contain children's shows. Four Star agreed to sell KTHT to the Home Shopping Network in September 1986, fewer than nine months after the station's launch. The transaction was reported at $15 million in the source material. On November 13, 1986, the station began carrying continuous home-shopping programming. It changed its call sign to KHSH on January 23, 1987, and added the -TV suffix in 1992. Barry Diller acquired HSN's station division in 1995. The division, initially associated with Silver King Broadcasting and later known as USA Broadcasting, sought to develop a locally focused CityVision format for its television properties. The concept failed to gain broad traction, and the division reported operating losses in 2000. Univision purchased the former HSN-owned station group in 2001. The Houston station changed from KHSH-TV to KFTH on January 14, 2002, becoming an outlet for Telefutura, Univision's secondary Spanish-language network launched that year. Telefutura adopted the UniMás name in 2013. KFTH-DT remains the UniMás station serving the Houston market. It is owned and operated by TelevisaUnivision together with KXLN-DT, the company's Univision station licensed to Rosenberg. Both stations share studios near Houston's Southwest Freeway and the I-610/I-69 interchange. KFTH's transmitter is near Missouri City in northeastern Fort Bend County, and the station's main program stream is also carried by a KXLN-DT subchannel. Local news has been limited. KXLN began producing the weekday morning program Vive La Mañana for KFTH on April 4, 2011. The high-definition program used KXLN's news facilities and a graphics and music package distinct from related programming in other markets. It was canceled in March 2015. KFTH ended regular analog broadcasting on UHF channel 67 on June 12, 2009, as part of the United States digital television transition. Its digital transmission remained on pre-transition UHF channel 36 while continuing to identify itself to viewers through virtual channel 67.
- 2015
Vive La Mañana ends
[1]The locally produced weekday morning program was canceled in March.
- 2013
Telefutura becomes UniMás
[1]The station's national network was rebranded as UniMás.
- 2011
Vive La Mañana launches
[1]Sister station KXLN began producing a weekday morning newscast for KFTH.
- 2009
Analog broadcasting ends
[1]The station ended analog operations on June 12 and continued digitally on UHF channel 36 with virtual channel 67.
- 2002
KFTH becomes a Telefutura station
[1]The call sign changed to KFTH on January 14 as the station joined Univision's Telefutura network.
- 1995
Barry Diller acquires the HSN station division
[1]The broadcast group became associated with Silver King Broadcasting and subsequently USA Broadcasting.
- 1992
The station adds the -TV suffix
[1]KHSH adopted the KHSH-TV call sign designation.
- 1987
Call sign changes to KHSH
[1]The station formally adopted the KHSH call sign in January after becoming a Home Shopping Network outlet.
- 1986
KTHT signs on
[1]The station began broadcasting on January 27 as an independent Houston-area television station.
- 1986
Home Shopping Network takes ownership
[1]Four Star sold the station to HSN, which introduced round-the-clock shopping programming later that year.
Products and positioning
A Spanish-language network television outlet serving the Houston metropolitan area, positioned within TelevisaUnivision's UniMás portfolio and complemented by sister Univision station KXLN-DT.
Spanish-language network television · 2013
UniMás television service
KFTH-DT's principal service is the Houston-area UniMás broadcast. It distributes Spanish-language entertainment and other network programming over the station's digital signal and is also represented on a KXLN-DT subchannel.
General-entertainment broadcasting · 1986
Independent television service
From its 1986 launch until its sale to HSN, the station operated as KTHT, an independent outlet carrying syndicated programs and movies for the Houston market.
Television home shopping · 1986
Home Shopping Network service
Under the KHSH identity, the station carried continuous Home Shopping Network programming beginning in November 1986, making it primarily a televised retail service rather than a general independent station.
Local television news · 2011
Vive La Mañana
This weekday morning newscast was produced by sister station KXLN for KFTH. It launched in 2011 in high definition and was canceled in March 2015.
Brand decisions
2013
Telefutura rebrand to UniMásStrategyBackground
Univision repositioned its secondary Spanish-language network under a new national brand.
Action taken
KFTH adopted the UniMás network identity.
Aftermath
KFTH continued as the Houston-area UniMás outlet under TelevisaUnivision.
2002
Conversion to TelefuturaStrategyBackground
Univision used the acquired station group to establish its new secondary Spanish-language network.
Action taken
KHSH-TV changed its call sign to KFTH and became a Telefutura station.
Aftermath
The station developed into a Spanish-language network outlet for the Houston market.
2001
Univision acquires the USA Broadcasting station groupM&ABackground
USA Broadcasting's CityVision strategy did not gain sufficient traction, and the division recorded operating losses in 2000.
Action taken
Univision purchased the group of former HSN-owned stations, including the Houston outlet.
Aftermath
The station was prepared for its 2002 conversion into a Telefutura affiliate and later became part of UniMás.
1986
Sale from Four Star Broadcasting to Home Shopping NetworkM&ABackground
Four Star operated KTHT for less than a year before agreeing to sell the Houston-area station to HSN.
Action taken
HSN acquired the station and shifted it to continuous home-shopping programming.
Aftermath
The station adopted the KHSH identity and remained a shopping-focused outlet until the later sale of HSN's broadcast group.
reported purchase price. $15 million (1986)
Sources2 sources
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